The 035-350 New Zealand trip March 2015
Worldwide motor home escorted holidays
This is our trip to New Zealand, we hired a motor home and toured round with a group for 28 days.
2 Mar 2015
We landed in Christchurch and stayed for two nights night in a hotel before collecting our motor home.
The second day we had a coach tour of Christchurch.
This is Christchurch Cathedral and shows the damage after the earthquake.
The inside of the temporary ‘cardboard’ Cathedral, has a lovely airy feeling.
The temporary shopping mall is made out of ships containers and is moved from site to site as development takes place.
The trams are now running again.
4 Mar 2015
This is the church of the Good Shepherd.
Our first view of Mount Cook, which is the highest mountain in New Zealand.
Our first camp site at Mount Cook.
5 Mar 2015
Moeraki Boulders, they are believed to be over 4 million years old.
As you can see they are very large.
7 March 2015
This is Jenni at Slope point, it was wet, cold and very windy.
This is the most southerly point of New Zealand, 5140Km from the Equator and 4803Km from the South pole.
8 Mar 2015
On our way to Milford Sound we found this Mirror Lake.
Some of the stuning scenery on route to Milford Sound.
Two of the many waterfalls flowing into Milford Sound.
This is the exit from Milford Sound to the Southern Ocean.
This is the view from the ocean into Milford Sound, you can see why Captain Cook kept missing it.
A picture from the underwater observation project in Milford sound, we were 5 meters under the water.
9 Mar 2015
The lake at Queenstown.
A view from the top of the cable car looking down at Queenstown (the adrenalin centre of New Zealand). The bungee jump was invented here.
11 Mar 2015
Arrowtown
The Chinese mining village just outside Arrowtown.
Arrowtown Post office, the whole town is in the same style.
A typical bridge, many of which are one way. This particular bridge is where they developed Bungee jumping.
11 Mar 2015
Fantail falls
12 Mar 2015
Jenni at Fox Glacier
We decided to walk to Gillespies Beach it was a 2 hour walk each way, in places it was very wet underfoot.
Gillespie Beach. We were the only two people on the beach, there were supposed to be seals on the beach. The only two we saw were on an island just offshore. There were, however, lots and lots of sand flies all of which chose to bite me even though I was covered in 80% Deet.
Franz Josef Glacier a lot whiter than Fox Glacier.
13 Mar 2015
Treetop walk very good if you have a good head for heights.
The observation tower at the treetop walk.
One single track bridge for both trains and vehicles, so keep a good look out all round!
15 Mar 2015
National park at Punakaiki Pancake rocks.
Pancake rocks.
18 Mar 2015
The ferry that took us from the south island to the north island.
Wellington harbour.
20 Mar 2015
Napier
The legend of Pania of the Reef
Pania was a beautiful maiden who lived in the sea on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand. By daylight she swam about with creatures of her reef world but after sunset would go to a stream that ran into the bay where the city of Napier now exists. She would travel up the stream to an area where she could rest among the flax bushes. Karitoki, the very handsome son of a Maori chief quenched his thirst every evening at the stream where Pania rested because it had the sweetest water. He was unaware she was observing him for many weeks until one night she whispered a faint spell. It carried on the wind to Karitoki who turned around to see Pania emerge from her hiding place. Karitoki had never seen someone so beautiful and instantly fell in love.
Napier, the whole town is built in this art deco style.
Its amazing where in the world you can find an Austin seven.
22 Mar 2015
Taupo hot springs
These are bubbling mud pools at Karapiti.
Aratiaria rapids on the Waikato river, with the dam and power house . They open the dam several times a day.
24 march 2018
New Zealand’s hidden valley Orakei Korako, the land of colourful silica terraces and geysers.
Kerosene Creek
The track from the road was in a very poor state and we nearly turned back after the first mile, but it ends in a large car park, and you have a short walk down to the pool where you can sit in it or do as we did and just paddle in it. The water here was so hot I could only stand in it for a few minutes, Jenni thought it was just right.
25 March 2015
Boiling mud pools close to Rotorua
In the evening were were taken to meet the Maori for dinner
Learning to do the Haka
26 March 2015
We left Rotorua on route to Orewa and saw on the map a village call Leigh. With my connection to Leigh on sea we had to go and have a look at it.
I did not look to much like my Leigh!!!
This our motor home, a long wheel base Mercedes sprinter automatic.
27 March 2015
This a view of Russell from the end of the pier. It is a really nice town. The only problem is that there is no running water, they have to save all their rain water.
From Russell we took a boat trip into the Bay of Islands.
The tourist boat we went on also carries the mail to the islands in the bay, this is the landing stage where we dropped off and collected the mail.
The dolphins were playing around the boat.
This is a mother and calf swimming within the school.
We stopped on one of the islands for lunch and climbed to the highest point of the island and this is the view.
The boat we went around the Bay of island on.
This is the Hole in the Rock, on a good day the boat will go through it, but the day we were there it was too rough.
A Kauri tree, they are very large. This one is 17.7m to the top of the trunk, the overall hight is 51.5m and the girth is 13.8m.
30 March 2015
Auckland harbour.
The Skycity hotel where we stayed after returning the motor homes and before we went to the airport. We had the final dinner in the rotating restaurant in the top of the tower.
We left Auckland on the 1 April 2015, back to London via Singapore.